Faced with reoccurring issues related to water drainage in the area of a Fifth Street bridge, Leavenworth city officials are taking another step as they try to address the problem.

The city is contracting with TransSystems, which has an office in Kansas City, Mo., to design a storm water system for the area of the bridge that spans across Three Mile Creek.

The company previously performed a study of problems at the bridge. Under the contract for the design work, which city commissioners approved Tuesday night, the city will pay the firm up to $22,645.

Mike McDonald, director of public works for the city, estimated construction of the storm water system will cost between $200,000 and $250,000.

"It's going to be somewhat flexible," he said.

He said the work can be done in phases.

McDonald said one of the water drainage issues in the area of the Fifth Street bridge results from heavy rainfall, which leads to water overtopping curbs and erosion of banks of the creek.

He said the problem of the overtopping of water probably existed prior to the 2009 construction of the Three Mile Creek trail, but people previously never saw it.

The trail runs under one end of the Fifth Street bridge.

There also have been problems resulting from underground water.

"Somewhere, we're getting ground water," McDonald said.

He said the city has had to perform significant repairs about four times as a result of problems related to the drainage issues. The most recent problem was a hole in the street. He said rain water causing erosion under the pavement created the cavity.

He said the design will include the construction of inlets for releasing the rainwater into the creek, which will keep it from flowing over the path it currently takes. He said there also will be underdrains to address the underground water.